Dan Patrick has said there are not enough votes for the proposals to pass in the Senate. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan have both expressed openness to destination resort style casinos in Texas and have said the majority of Texans support sports betting. An accompanying bill that details the potential regulations for sports betting was initially approved on a 84-52 vote. It too will need 100 votes to advance to the Senate. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican, laid out a bill that would let voters decide whether to legalize online sports betting, which got a few more votes than the casino measure, passing 97-44. The vote on the companion to Geren’s bill was delayed until Thursday. Geren’s bill, a companion bill that outlines casino regulations and the proposals for sports betting face tough odds in the Senate and are up against the clock as the Legislature wraps its final weeks and other key deadlines loom. But because it is a constitutional amendment, the measure needs 100 votes on Thursday, when the bill is expected to next be considered, to advance to the Senate. Geren’s bill, House Joint Resolution 155, passed 92-51. Charlie Geren, a Fort Worth Republican, who authored a proposal for destination resort style casinos in Texas, casinos that are accompanied by amenities like hotels, restaurants, meeting spaces, entertainment venues and shopping centers.
